Off-spinner picks up 20th five-for as India bowl out New Zealand for 299; hosts enjoy 276-run lead
These days whatever Ravichandran Ashwin touches turns gold. It was no different on Monday.
The Indian off-spinner once again came up with a gem of a performance with the ball that gave India upper-hand on Day Three of the third Test being played at the Holkar Stadium.
Ashwin's six for 81, his 20th five wicket haul in Test cricket, saw the Indians take a 258-run lead over Kane Williamson's New Zealand after they were dismissed for 299 in reply to hosts's first innings score of 557 for six declared.
India captain Virat Kohli had a chance to ask New Zealand to follow-on, but he chose decided to bat again with six overs left for stumps.
By the end of the day, India were 18 for no loss with Murali Vijay (11) and Cheteshwar Pujara (1) unbeaten at the crease and had taken a 276-run lead.
Comeback man Gautam Gambhir, who hit a boundary, retired hurt after injuring his shoulder because of a fall he suffered while taking a single.
Ashwin was once again the star of the day. Apart from the six wickets, which included his second five-wicket haul in the series, the Tamil Nadu off-spinner effected two run outs, that made him involved in eight of the 10 New Zealand wickets.
Coming into the third day, New Zealand looked a different side. Their openers played out the first one and a half hours with ease on a wicket that had some help for the batsmen.
Martin Guptill and Tom Latham were involved in a century stand, a first for them in the series. Ashwin, on the other hand bowled in tandem with Ravindra Jadeja, but did not get a breakthrough.
Jadeja almost got Latham, who went for a sweep but the ball hit the toe of the bat and then his foot before going into the hands of the slip fielder Ajinkya Rahane. But umpire Bruce Oxenford wasn't convinced and turned down the appeals.
In the next over, Ashwin sent Latham back with a simple return catch as New Zealand went into lunch at 125/1.
Post lunch, Ashwin was all over the New Zealand batting. In a space of 14-runs, the offie sent back four batsmen including captain Kane Williamson, Guptill, Ross Taylor and Luke Ronchi in the space of 14 runs, bringing them down to 148/5.
Williamson, who had a cautious approach, tried to cut Ashwin but the ball turned in sharply taking his off-stump.
Taylor and Ronchi gave simple slip catches to Rahane, while Guptill was unlucky. Ronchi hit Ashwin's fullish length delivery hard and straight and the ball hit stumps at non-striker's end after brushing past the bowler's finger and Guptill was caught short of crease as he was backing up.
After a mini collapse, New Zealand came back thanks to Jimmy Neesham, who largely played straight and with a cautious approach.
Post tea session, Neesham and all-rounder Michael Santner had a half century for the seventh wicket before Jadeja sent him back.
With New Zealand on the back foot, Ashwin kept the pressure on bowling full and turning it sharp. In the process, he got his fifth wicket when he got rid of danger man Neesham. The batsman tried to ungainly sweep the off-spinner and missed as the ball hit his back thigh. The decision was doubtful considering the ball hit him outside the line of off-stump.
From there there was very little that Kiwis managed to do as Ashwin sent back Trent Boult and ran out of Jeetan Patel.
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